CVE-2020-36286 in JIRA Server
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2021
The membersOf JQL search function in Jira Server and Data Center before version 8.5.13, from version 8.6.0 before version 8.13.5, and from version 8.14.0 before version 8.15.1 allows remote anonymous attackers to determine if a group exists & members of groups if they are assigned to publicly visible issue field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-36286 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center platforms. This weakness specifically affects the membersOf JQL search function, which is designed to query group membership information within the Jira environment. The vulnerability exists across multiple version ranges including versions prior to 8.5.13, versions 8.6.0 through 8.13.4, and versions 8.14.0 through 8.15.0, creating a broad attack surface for potential exploitation. The flaw allows remote anonymous attackers to perform reconnaissance activities that reveal group membership details without requiring authentication or authorization.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the membersOf JQL function implementation. When attackers exploit this flaw, they can determine whether specific groups exist within the Jira instance and identify members of groups that are assigned to publicly visible issue fields. This occurs because the function fails to properly validate user permissions or restrict access based on the attacker's authentication status. The vulnerability essentially bypasses the normal authorization mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized access to group membership information, creating a scenario where sensitive organizational data becomes discoverable through crafted JQL queries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable intelligence for further exploitation attempts. By discovering group memberships, attackers can identify key personnel within an organization, understand team structures, and potentially map out internal collaboration patterns. This intelligence can be leveraged for targeted social engineering attacks, privilege escalation attempts, or to identify high-value targets within the Jira environment. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that maintain public issue tracking where group memberships might inadvertently reveal sensitive information about team compositions or project structures. Security professionals should note that this issue aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, specifically versions 8.5.13, 8.13.5, and 8.15.1 respectively. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict public access to issue fields that might contain group membership information, implement proper access controls, and consider network-level restrictions to limit exposure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, and organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify similar issues within their Jira installations. This vulnerability also highlights the need for continuous security monitoring and regular patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.